France hands over first base in Chad amid withdrawal

France has handed over its first military base as part of the withdrawal of its military forces from Chad, the French and Chadian militaries said Thursday.

Chad's military chief of staff said the base at Faya-Largeau in the north of the country had been handed over and that it would inform the public about progress concerning the withdrawal of French forces from bases in the eastern city of Abeche and the capital N'Djamena.

Chad last month abruptly ended military cooperation with its former colonial power and French troops began leaving the country last Friday, ten days after French warplanes left.

The move comes as Chad holds parliamentary and local elections on Sunday.

The French army had some 1,000 personnel in the country. French soldiers and fighter aircraft have been stationed in Chad almost continuously since the country's independence in 1960, helping to train the Chadian military.